Subtle Conflict

Monday, April 24, 2006

Great dramatic writing often builds into volcanic conflict through subtle conflict, because it can be the most powerful.For example, at the end of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, Nora subtly responds to attacks on her worth with the conflict of stiffening resistance or restrained counterattacks. But her husband keeps abusing her as though she were an object without feelings and doesn't see what's

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The Story Creation Process

Friday, April 21, 2006

You cannot create a plot without a general idea of the characters who will perform the actions that move it. And you cannot create a character without a general idea of what will happen to him. So, you start with a premise that establishes the rudiments of both.Where to go from there? When we view the question from the writer's standpoint, we see that the actions must fit the character and vice

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Foreshadowing 4

Monday, April 17, 2006

Foreshadow by using the "Had-I-but-known" device to draw the reader through an otherwise dull scene, the significance of which will be apparent later. Use the author's voice or a character's voice, or show by the character's actions that he is unaware of the significance of a choice or event. You can even use this device to foreshadow surprise.Had Leroy known who the man was, he would have known

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Foreshadowing 3

Saturday, April 8, 2006

You can foreshadow what a character might do under great stress by showing what he does under everyday stress. Say, for example, he kills a cat or dog that irritates him. Or perhaps he flies into a road rage at some other driver who "cuts him off." You can use characters to foreshadow the actions of other characters. For example, a minor character might warn your protagonist about a major

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